Over 5,000 families bear brunt of Pepito
Over 5,000 families bear brunt of Pepito.....»»
Fishers call for adequate support amid the El Niño drought
"Fishers also bear the brunt of the El Niño phenomenon. During drought, fish usually swim deeper than usual to seek cooler temperatures, making fishing more difficult and costly as we have to spend extra time and fuel." The post Fishers call for adequate support amid the El Niño drought appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
What you need to know: Atin Ito’s Christmas convoy to West PH Sea
The project aims to honor the Filipinos who bear the brunt of China's intimidations in the West Philippine Sea and make a statement that ordinary Filipinos can sail freely sail through its own waters.....»»
Alibaba announces surprise departure of ex-CEO
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has announced the surprise departure of former CEO Daniel Zhang, who had been set Monday to take charge of a key subsidiary as the firm undergoes a major restructuring. Hangzhou-based Alibaba is one of China's most prominent technology firms, with business operations spanning cloud computing, e-commerce, logistics, media and entertainment, and artificial intelligence. After years of turbulence in the Chinese tech sector, Alibaba in March announced the biggest restructuring in its history, dividing itself into six entities, with the goal of listing them on the stock exchange separately. CEO Daniel Zhang was due to take charge of the firm's new cloud computing branch, now a separate entity, on Monday. But two months after announcing his appointment, Alibaba said its ex-boss was no longer with the company. "The board of our Company expresses its deepest appreciation to Mr. Zhang for his contributions to Alibaba Group over the past 16 years," the company said in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, where it is listed, late on Sunday. It gave no reason for his departure. Plans for a spin-off cloud computing firm would go ahead, Alibaba said, "under a separate management team to be appointed". The company announced in June that Zhang would be replaced by Joseph Tsai as chairman and Eddie Wu as CEO. The executive played a vital role in the company's success in the past decade, spearheading the now hugely popular Singles' Day shopping festival since its first edition in 2009. Shares in the firm sank nearly 3.5 percent Monday -- the first working day of its new reorganization into six distinct branches. In addition to e-commerce and cloud computing, Alibaba's reach stretches into everything from logistics to media, entertainment and artificial intelligence. But its vast size brought it into the crosshairs of Chinese regulators as Beijing sought to crack down on the tech sector. In 2020, Alibaba became the country's first tech giant to bear the brunt of increased oversight, when authorities called off what would have become one of the most valuable public listings in history -- valued at $34 billion -- for its former subsidiary Ant Group. Ant Group is the owner of Alipay, a mobile payment application widely used in China. One month after officials hit the brakes on its IPO, Alibaba was investigated for alleged anti-competitive practices, then issued a $2.8 billion fine. And in July authorities fined Ant Group nearly $1 billion for breaching banking regulations. The post Alibaba announces surprise departure of ex-CEO appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Authorities order evacuations ahead of super typhoon Egay
A super typhoon swept towards the northern Philippines on Tuesday, the country’s weather agency said, triggering evacuation orders for coastal communities expected to bear the brunt of the powerful storm. Super Typhoon "Egay" was packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers an hour (115 miles per hour) as it headed towards a group of three lightly populated islands off the northern tip of the main island of Luzon, the agency said. The storm was expected to make landfall or pass very close to the Babuyan islands or northeastern Cagayan province by Wednesday afternoon, the agency said in its latest bulletin at 0000 GMT. It would then sweep across to Taiwan and eastern China. The storm was expected to dump more than 200 millimeters (7.9 inches) of rain on the islands and the northern portion of Cagayan, Apayao and Ilocos Norte provinces on Tuesday. Three of the five Babuyan islands are inhabited, with a population of around 20,000 people. Local disaster official Charles Castillejos said coastal communities on the islands had been ordered to leave their homes, while fishermen had been told to get their boats out of the water. "We sent the police to convince the hard-headed ones who refuse to evacuate," Castillejos told AFP. Storm surges of more than three meters (10 feet) could hit some low-lying areas, the weather agency warned. Heavy rain was expected across the mountainous northern provinces in the coming days, with landslides "highly likely", it added. The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 major storms each year that kill hundreds of people and keep vast regions in perpetual poverty. Scientists have warned that such storms, which also kill livestock and destroy key infrastructure, are becoming more powerful as the world gets warmer because of climate change. The post Authorities order evacuations ahead of super typhoon Egay appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Jeepney phaseout haphazard planning
In January 2018, during the Duterte period, the Department of Transportation tried to fast-track the jeepney phaseout plan, the so-called Transport Modernization Program or TMP, imposing deadlines to complete the phaseout by 2020. By November 2019, DOTr realized it was dreaming, and it finally dropped the plan. You cannot implement such a massive plan in so short a time. Not only was the time frame short, the plan was haphazardly done, with a lot of gaps. Either there was pressure from Malacañang or the DoTr was simply too gung-ho about it. At the time, there were about 300,000 jeepneys nationwide, on which a staggering 1.5 million, at an average of five persons per family, were dependent for their sustenance. Dislocating and rehabilitating such a huge number of drivers for new jobs would have been next to impossible, considering our high unemployment rate. This would have led to a social crisis inviting anarchy and unrest. We are not even talking about thousands of jeepney operators and dozens of affected downstream industries, such as jeepney manufacturers. The first to scream against the obsolescence of the jeepney and the pasaway (undisciplined) jeepney drivers were those who would benefit from the phaseout, namely, the oligarchs and powerful politicians who, in partnership, would take over the mass transport industry. Right now, they are drooling over the perceived windfall. They are planning secretly and organizing lobbies to influence PBBM and the government to implement mass transport modernization with their vested interests in mind. The pressure on PBBM will be so great and they will offer him a piece of the pie. The more he resists, the bigger the slice. The government will be forced to bear the brunt of mass transport modernization, allotting billions, so that the oligarchs and bureaucrats will spend less. Duterte’s TMP planned to replace current polluting jeepney engines with environment-friendly Euro-4 engines used in Europe. Back in 2019, one Euro-4 engine cost a staggering P1.6 million, beyond the reach of most operators. They would have drowned in debt or abandoned their businesses. Only the oligarchs-bureaucrats could afford this and so they would take over. Converting 300,000 jeepneys to Euro-4 would cost a dizzying P447 billion at 2019 prices. (Source: UPLB scientists interviewed). The Euro-4 is good for rich countries, not for poor countries with little capital. Its evolution was so rapid that Euro-1 to Euro-3 became ridiculously obsolete in so short a time. The Euro-4 is probably already obsolete today. The massive undertaking to convert 300,000 jeepneys may take 10 years, but only if the government borrows millions for the thousands of conversions nationwide. Also, imports may be available only in trickles, not considering that the Euro-4 is discontinued or rendered obsolete by newer versions. Let us assume the Euro series is replaced by better, cheaper technologies from China or even locally appropriate technologies. Present operators may need to get big loans. Only the oligarchs-bureaucrats will be ready to take over the mass transport system quickly. The fares of the modernized jeepneys and new hybrid mini-buses may easily reach four to six times the present rates. Commuters ultimately will bear the brunt of modernization. This does not even consider higher gas prices. Marginal commuters will be the ultimate victims. PBBM is in a dilemma. We are not ready for the massive changes and massive dislocations facing our mass transport system. We should have planned these expansions 10 to 20 years ago. PBBM will have to respond to the violent transport strikes brewing not with truncheons but with workable solutions that will address actual needs. He has very little time. PR and propaganda alone cannot contain the storm. The situation is not that hopeless, however. First, we must avoid quick-fix solutions in panic and come up with long-term solutions. Second, solutions should include funds to support our local inventors and manufacturers to avoid dependence on foreign technologies. Third, we must undertake intense research on alternatives to import-oriented modernizations. Removing the omnipresent jeepney completely is impossible for now. We can perhaps partly remove and partly improve the jeepney gradually. We can start by giving loans to operators to gradually replace their aging jeepneys. The key is to go slow. The age of cheap electric jeepneys may just be around the corner. We can perhaps ask Elon Musk or China to fund cheap e-jeepney engine factories here. Import the factories rather than the finished goods. We can retain local jeepney hybrid designs. That would be the perfect solution. eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com The post Jeepney phaseout haphazard planning appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bangladesh, Myanmar bear brunt of ‘Mocha’
Cyclone Mocha began to crash ashore at the Bangladesh-Myanmar border on Sunday, threatening to blow away bamboo and tarp houses in the hillside camps of nearly a million Rohingya refugees. Mocha, packing winds of 195 kph, hit between Cox’s Bazar hosting the camps and Sittwe in Myanmar, Bangladesh’s weather office said. Mohammad Sayed, 28, told Agence France-Presse from the Nayapara refugee camp that families are also scared as cyclone shelters are not strong enough to withstand powerful winds. Bangladeshi authorities moved 190,000 people in Cox’s Bazar and nearly 100,000 in Chittagong to safety, divisional commissioner Aminur Rahman told AFP late Saturday. Hundreds of people also fled Bangladesh’s Saint Martin’s island, a local resort area right in the storm’s path, with thousands more moving to cyclone shelters on the coral outcrop. Those left behind said they feared the storm’s approach. “We are in a panic because we don’t have enough cyclone shelters here,” Jahangir Sarwar, 23, a resident of the Saint Martin’s told AFP by phone. In Sittwe, around 3,000 people evacuated to higher grounds inland as meteorologists warned of a storm surge of up to 3.5 meters. A media account run by junta authorities in Rakhine showed what it said were trees downed over a road near Sittwe. “A house at the camp collapsed and the roof of a shelter built by UNHCR was blown away,” refugees in Myanmar’s Kyaukphyu camp requesting annonymity claimed. The rain and wind were felt in Myanmar’s commercial hub Yangon, around 500 kilometers away, residents said Sunday. Mocha is the most powerful storm to hit Bangladesh since Sidr, Azizur Rahman, the head of Bangladesh’s Meteorological Department, told AFP. Sidr hit Bangladesh’s southern coast in November 2007, killing more than 3,000 people and causing billions of dollars in damage. The post Bangladesh, Myanmar bear brunt of ‘Mocha’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
'TheRealDuterteLegacy | Farmers bear the brunt of Duterte’s rice liberalization policy
Ibon Foundation said that the Rice Tariffication Law has never benefited farmers. From P385 billion in 2018 ($7 billion), the value of palay production declined to P333 billion ($6.06 billion) in 2021 despite an increase of 894,076 metric ton in production volume. The post #TheRealDuterteLegacy | Farmers bear the brunt of Duterte’s rice liberalization policy appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Wealth tax to aid in labor force recovery
The proposal to impose taxes on the extremely wealthy percentage of the population could help the country’s labor force recover as the working class continues to bear the brunt of losses every time the government decides to curb mobility......»»
Senator wants probe into sagot for sale scheme, warns students will bear brunt of practice
"I know this is challenging, but again we need to fully understand the assessment conducted by the DepEd. And we also want to see a per subject analysis because we all know that we need to help our students by looking at their weaknesses in different subject matters," Gatchalian added......»»
Over 5,000 families bear brunt of Pepito
Over 5,000 families bear brunt of Pepito.....»»
Women community journalists bear brunt of intensifying media repression in PH
“Journalism is not a crime. Instead of targeting the messengers, the authorities should instead be investigating and dealing with the real perpetrators of violence, corruption and rights abuses.” The post Women community journalists bear brunt of intensifying media repression in PH appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Groups appeal to Duterte: Maintain one-meter distancing in public transport
"Ultimately, the poor and the working class will bear the brunt of these new infections arising from the reduction of social distancing. We believe that such a policy is anti-worker and anti-poor," the coalition's statement reads. .....»»
Alternative learners still slow to enrol
A high-ranking official of the Department of Education (DepEd) said they had a lower number of enrollees in the Alternative Learning System (ALS) this year compared to last year, as most of them continue to bear the brunt of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In an interview with Daily Tribune, DepEd Assistant Secretary GH […] The post Alternative learners still slow to enrol appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Go extends aid to Muntinlupa fire victims
In observance of Fire Prevention Month, Sen. Bong Go and his Malasakit Team distributed aid on March 21 to almost 1,000 families in Alabang, Muntinlupa who were affected by a recent fire......»»
Think again before buying bunnies as Easter gifts
SAN DIEGO – With Easter just a week away, animal rescue groups in Southern California are urging people not to buy rabbits as holiday gifts for children. They said that what begins as a well-meaning gesture often leads to abandoned animals when the novelty wears off and families realize they’re not equipped to properly care.....»»
After Ayungin harassment, China tells PH: Prepare ‘to bear all potential consequences’
The Philippines, meanwhile, says it 'will not be deterred – by veiled threats or hostility – from exercising our legal rights'.....»»
600 families homeless in Tondo fire
A fire broke out at a neighborhood composed mostly of shanties in Tondo, Manila on Thursday night, leaving at least 600 families homeless......»»
Marcos: Philippines not provoking conflict, poking the bear with China
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Philippines was not deliberately provoking conflict or acting under the command of the United States in its efforts to assert its sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea.....»»
Hiroshima grapples with ‘Oppenheimer’ Oscars success
“Oppenheimer” had a glittering night at the Oscars but in Hiroshima, devastated by the first nuclear bomb in 1945, the film about the weapon’s creator is harder to stomach. “Is this really a movie that people in Hiroshima can bear to watch?” said Kyoko Heya, president of the Japanese city’s international film festival, on Monday.....»»
Vanishing Ice, Vanishing Giants: The Urgent Tale of Polar Bears on International Polar Bear Day
by: Assaf Levy, BioDB International Polar Bear Day, celebrated on February 27th, highlights the plight of polar bears amidst the melting Arctic ice and climate change. It's a day that calls for global awareness and action towards preserving these majestic creatures and their h.....»»